Ch. 11 Deja Vu For Bally Total Fitness

Law360, New York (December 3, 2008, 12:00 AM EST) -- Barely a year after escaping Chapter 11, Bally Total Fitness Corp. has been forced to retreat into bankruptcy once again amid a worsening economy and a crushing load of debt.

On Wednesday, Bally revealed that it had decided to go the bankruptcy route for the second time in 17 months, filing the necessary papers in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York.

"Over the past five months, Bally has significantly improved its operating processes and expense management and streamlined its organizational structure,...